Made my day

At Friendly's, I ordered a 2-scoop cone, one scoop black raspberry, one scoop chocolate, on a sugar cone. The kid making the cone put one big scoop of black ras first, then the chocolate, and then topped it off with a cap of black ras. I felt like a little kid. The ice cream just made me smile! What great ice-cream-jockey. Or whatever they're called.

Start with Salsa, end with Joy-ful Peppermint

After a filling Mexican meal at Sierra's in Sudbury, I finished the night with a walk to Dairy Joy in Hudson from my friend's condo. I'll start with the Mexican.

Sierra's is on 117 in Sudbury, in what seems like the middle of nowhere. It's a small low building that looks sort of non-descript on the outside, but upon entering, it seems like you are in another world. The restaurant has a small bar, and several tables and booths in the main dining room. Chandeliers are made of large antlers, cast, I'm sure, not real bones, but you never know. On the walls are skulls with antlers, colorful ceramic plates, and small sconces. It's a very southwestern feel, but not cluttered like many restaurants. The tables are tile-top, and the booths are pew-like with cushions. Basically, I say that to let you know you need have good posture if you want to spend hours there.

We had chips and salsa to start, and I ordered totally delicious Raspberry Margarita (tequila, chambord, triple sec). The salsa was good - it tasted fresh but was mild. I prefer a spicier salsa, but this was still good.

I had the spinach and chicken burrito. It came with refried beans and rice, lettuce and stewed tomatoes. It was tasty. My two complaints are: It wasn't junk-foody enough, and wasn't spicy enough. The chicken was really moist and tender; it seemed like it had been poached in a seasoned broth. There were several fresh vegetables in the burrito as well: corn, red and green peppers, and onions. My friend had the chicken soft tacos and enjoyed them also. One think we noticed was that the guacamole doesn't come with everything so if you want it, be sure to order it as a side.

After dinner, we drove back to Hudson, a short drive, and walked to the Dairy Joy on Rt. 62. We both got the Peppermint Stick ice cream, mine in a cone, hers in a cup. The Peppermint Stick ice cream is like christmas. The sticks are red and green, with a pink colored ice cream. Totally creamy and delicious, it hit the spot.

Side note: Dairy Joy has awesome onion rings.

Summer, Citrus, and Straight Up Country

Summer's coming to a close, and with it, the season of summer beers. As much as I'm looking forward to Octoberfests, I really do enjoy a nice cold summer beer. Last night, at a local favorite, O'Connor's Restaurant, I had a pint of Wachusett Summer Breeze (is it summer breeze, or is that just a song?). I was given the choice of lemon or orange; I went with lemon, and it was the right choice, though it would have been fine on its own. The lemon added the right amount of crispness. Here's a tip, though, that I learned a long time ago. Drink it fast enough so you don't end up with half a beer that tastes like lemon pledge.

I also had a Wachusett Country, always a favorite of mine.

My dining companion had a BBC IPA. I didn't hear any complaints from him and he ordered a second. Unfortunately, the keg went dry and foam splattered all over the bartender (face included). Was it funny? No, and yes. I didn't laugh, though. He ended up with a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

O'Connor's had a number of other decent-looking brews on tap. They rotate their taps pretty frequently. I probably should have gone for something new or unusual but I was feeling like guaranteed satisfaction.

Cream Cheese and Scones

I recently discovered the olive and pimento cream cheese at Bagel Time on Park Ave in Worcester. I went in last week to get the usual (spinach garlic toasted with chive and bacon or veggie) and they thought I said olive. The got it right, but it intrigued me, so I tried it this week. It was delicious. Quite a bit of olives with pimentos, sliced, and a strong flavor.

This morning, I went for the always high-calorie cinnamon chip scone. I'd never had one there before and it was really good. Not really dry, lots of cinnamon flavor. Really, it hit the spot.

I also like their iced coffee.

On a side note, olives and pimentos are great on a green salad or in a pasta salad with a lemon and olive oil dressing.